Varunika Saraf

About Artist

Varunika has done her M.F.A (Painting) from University of Hyderabad and B.F.A (Painting), J.N.T.U. College of Fine Arts Hyderabad. Varunika's works take their reference from classical miniature painting traditions to ...

Varunika has done her M.F.A (Painting) from University of Hyderabad and B.F.A (Painting), J.N.T.U. College of Fine Arts Hyderabad. Varunika's works take their reference from classical miniature painting traditions to depict the violence of our times. Her paintings convey various states of her mind in reality and dreams. Varunika Saraf is known for layering archival and mythical visual references to create a conceptual dialogue with the past and at the same time explore the antecedents of a range of contemporary political and social issues. These dense layers of often marginalised histories are narrated through the lives of dispossessed who appear alongside characters from history, and even imaginary beings in poetic landscapes. Saraf achieves this visual complexity through various techniques, which include the use of the wasli board, watercolours prepared from natural and mineral pigments, dyeing, embroidery, block printing, etc. The idea of history and cultural memory are recurrent themes in her works. Saraf’s mournful retelling of historical events acts as socio-historical documents in the wake of the exponential rise of cultural nationalism.

Testimonials

BIODATA

About Artist

Varunika has done her M.F.A (Painting) from University of Hyderabad and B.F.A (Painting), J.N.T.U. College of Fine Arts Hyderabad. Varunika's works take their reference from classical miniature painting traditions to depict the violence of our times. Her paintings convey various states of her mind in reality and dreams. Varunika Saraf is known for layering archival and mythical visual references to create a conceptual dialogue with the past and at the same time explore the antecedents of a range of contemporary political and social issues. These dense layers of often marginalised histories are narrated through the lives of dispossessed who appear alongside characters from history, and even imaginary beings in poetic landscapes. Saraf achieves this visual complexity through various techniques, which include the use of the wasli board, watercolours prepared from natural and mineral pigments, dyeing, embroidery, block printing, etc. The idea of history and cultural memory are recurrent themes in her works. Saraf’s mournful retelling of historical events acts as socio-historical documents in the wake of the exponential rise of cultural nationalism.

Exhibitions

Saraf has participated in various exhibitions in India and abroad. These include group shows such as Here be the Dragons and Other Coded Landscapes curated by Meera Menezes (2017), Dwelling curated by Ranjit Hoskote (2016), Excavation/Eruption curated by Yashodhara Dalmia (2015), Touched by Bhupen at Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke,Mumbai (2013), and Phantoms of Asia at Asian Art Museum, San Fransisco, USA (2012). She has held two solo shows titled The Chair in the Cloud at Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke, Mumbai (2010) and Tales of Our Times at Kashi Art Gallery, Kochi (2008).

Award & Recognition

Saraf has been the recipient of manyprestigious grants and fellowships including the Amol Vadehra Art Grant (2016-17), Summer Research Fellowship at Getty Research Institute,Los Angeles; Charles Wallace India Trust Visiting Fellowship, Centre of South Asian Studies, Cambridge, NTICVA Fellowship in the UK, and Visiting Fellowship from the Max-Planck Institute, Florence. She holds an MPhil in Art History from the School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU and an MFA in Painting from the Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communications, University of Hyderabad. Saraf is currently working on her PhD, Souvenirs, Heritage and Fakes: The Making of “Indian Miniatures”.She has won many awards including J.N.T.U. Merit Scholarship, 2000 University of Hyderabad Merit Scholarship, University of Hyderabad First Rank Medal Holder, Kashi Award for Visual Arts (KAVA2) 2006.The artist lives and works in Hyderabad.